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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — clothes
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — the fish
  11. degree — from a university
  12. suit — in cards
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — the underground
  20. suit — to fit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com